White House says former Taliban leader Mullah Omar is dead, urges reconciliation

The Afghan Taliban on Friday praised their new leader, saying he was one of the most “trusted” associates of the late Mullah Mohammad Omar, a acknowledgment likely meant to rally followers behind the leadership at a time of a deeply fractured insurgency.

The White House confirmed the death of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar July 31 and said his demise “represents a chance for yet more progress on the path to a stable, secure Afghanistan“.

The top contenders included Mansour and Omar’s son Mullah Yakoub, who sources said was favoured by some commanders but at 26 was considered too young and inexperienced for such a key role.

With Omar having not been seen in public in more than a decade – his last audio message was released in 2007 – the appointment of Mansoor clarifies the Taliban’s leadership structure, which some analysts say could help the Afghan government and others in dealing with the group. The Taliban reacted by pulling out of peace talks in that were agreed to be scheduled to take place on Friday.

Among those opposing Mansour’s leadership are Mullah Mohammad Rasool and Mullah Hasan Rahmani, two influential Taliban figures with their own power bases who back Yaqoob.

The State Department-designated terrorist organization operates in Afghanistan and has been responsible for attacks on foreign and Afghan targets. This may put him in a position to revive the peace talks. “This structure has not been able to prevent the defection of several Taliban commanders to the Islamic State, which is a process that may now be accelerated with new reports of their supreme commander’s death“, it added.

Despite operating in near-total secrecy, the reclusive one-eyed Mullah Omar had served as a unifying figure in the Taliban.

He Has shown his ability to navigate in different currents in the Taliban movement, from the Quetta Shura to the “political office” in Qatar to commanders on the ground in Afghanistan.

Jalaluddin Haqqani, who founded the notorious Haqqani network, died in June 2014 according to Taliban and Pakistani intelligence sources. They also maintained Mullah Omar never left Afghanistan after his government was toppled in 2001 – an assertion that contradicts the widespread belief that he fled to Pakistan, where he received refuge as he led the insurgency for a number of years.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has sought Pakistan’s help in bringing the Taliban to the negotiations since Islamabad is believed to wield influence over the group.

“If anyone does not obey the new chief of the Taliban then he will be not in the Taliban”, he said simply.

Afghan Taliban leaders have long had sanctuaries in Pakistan, even as Pakistani government officials have denied offering support in recent years.

Shashank Joshi, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said the leadership question had not triggered fresh splits but instead illustrated existing fractures that could devalue any peace process.

Haqqani’s son, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has long been thought to be in de facto control of the group and has just been announced as a deputy leader of the Taliban.

The U.S. government has offered a $5-million reward for information leading to Haqqani’s capture, blaming his group for a series of attacks on U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

This week another district, this time in the south, fell to insurgents, who have exploited the absence of most North Atlantic Treaty Organisation troops after they withdrew at the end of a year ago.